Has your institution planted new trees in the last year? Do you run an in-house recycling program that includes paper, plastic, aluminum, cardboard, and other materials? Are outdoor areas kept clear of weeds and litter? Do you hold a LEED certification?
By answering “yes†to these questions and others, the University of Evansville landed in the top-scoring category of the GreenOVATION Awards for Beautiful and Sustainable Businesses, sponsored by Keep Evansville Beautiful and the Evansville Business Journal.
The awards honor area companies and institutions for their achievements in beautification and conservation. To apply, organizations completed a survey about their attributes and practices. Based on their scores, they were placed in one of three categories: Excellence Award (earning 90 percent of possible points), Merit Award (75 percent), and Endeavor Award (60 percent).
“These are truly progressive and assertive leaders in conservation and sustainability,†said Cheryl Martin, Evansville Business Journal editor, as she presented the Excellence Awards today at Keep Evansville Beautiful’s annual award luncheon. “They are the pacesetters we can model our efforts after.â€
UE also scored in the top category in 2010, the first year for the GreenOVATION Awards. The University earned points for assets such as an extensive recycling program, two LEED-certified buildings (the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration and the Ridgway University Center), and an attractively landscaped campus.
